Such Sweet Sorrow
by Juliet-Montague
Summary: Bella is whisked back to Renaissance Verona, as Isabella Capulet, to relive the tale of Romeo and Juliet. Bella and Edward are trying to save their love from tragedy, the Volturi want to claim Bella, and werewolf vs. vampire fighting continues. R&R!
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: You know the deal, I don't own Twilight, New Moon or any of its characters, settings, and whatever else is in the book. And for the record, I don't own any of Shakespeare's work either.**

"Two houses, both alike in dignity," started Edward with a chuckle. "In fair Verona, where we lay our scene." He closed the script book, and laughed. "Well done, landing Juliet in the English department's play."

Bella scowled. "Well, you know it won't be so great if you're not my Romeo."

Edward laughed at that, and then frowned playfully. "I do admit, I'm a bit jealous of whichever pathetic adolescent male is chosen to play Romeo."

Bella traced a line on their intertwined hands. "Then why didn't you try out?" Edward laughed more at that.

"Bella, can you possibly imagine what would happen if my skin were to be put under those spotlights?"

She sighed. "True enough." Knowing her luck, it would probably be Mike that would be cast as Romeo. The kiss scene started seeming more ominous to her.

"What are you thinking about?" Edward breathed. Bella tried to regain her thoughts from the jumble into which Edward's breath had sent them. She gazed at him earnestly.

"I'm just thinking about how much better the balcony scene would be if it were between you and me."

He chuckled softly in her ear. "But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun." His voice coated the masterfully crafted words with a kind of silk that Bella could never imagine any better. Her heart gave an audible reaction, and Edward laughed quietly at that.

"And that's exactly what I mean." She smiled.

"Bella, I come in through your 'balcony' every evening." He scowled. "I will be jealous if that vile Newton boy is cast as Romeo, though." A low growl escaped his lips, and Bella closed them with a quick kiss.

"You have no need to, though. You know it's you I'll be thinking about, even if it's his lips I'm kissing."

Edward smiled, and then pulled the bedcovers over Bella. "And now, it's time you get some sleep."

"But I don't want to sleep," whined Bella. Her eyes pleaded with him.

"Bella, you only have another three months until graduation." Edward sighed. "And after graduation, there will be no more sleeping."

Bella's eyes lit up at that, and Edward laughed humorlessly. "I don't think I'll ever understand why that thought makes you so eager."

"You don't have to," she said. He chuckled again, and lay next to her.

"I love you, Bella," he whispered, almost inaudibly.

Bella's consciousness was slipping at that moment, and a torrent of midnight waves overtook her drifting mind. There was a medley of things in that ocean that was carrying her away from the shores of consciousness. There was the brief image of a scarlet rose, beautiful, but thorn-ridden. Then there was the vision of a shining silver moon, gracing the darkened sky with a single point of light and hope. It was then that an unfamiliar voice spoke to her.

"Be safe."


	2. Interlude

The cobblestone streets of Verona were narrow and busy. Three men of chalky pallor stood erect in a balcony above the bustle.

"There's no way he won't change her this time," said Caius. "There's far too much at stake."

Marcus chuckled. "Her life, namely."

"And if he doesn't change her, well, then," said Aro. "Our little Friar's drought will." He pulled a vial from his cloak. "When she wakes up from that fake sleep of hers, she'll be one of us."

Caius smiled. "And once she is a vampire, she's ours."

Aro raised a small glass of what would have appeared to be wine, were it not such a bright shade of red.

"To the Volturi," he toasted.

"To the Volturi!"


	3. Act 1, Scene 1

"Isabella, pet, please wake!" Bella vaguely heard a matronly voice call out to her. "Isabella!" The woman swore under her breath. "Oh, God in heaven, that the poor child were bludgeoned in this fray."

Bludgeoned? Bella's head felt slightly sore, but she was sure it was only a headache. Speaking of which, who was this woman? Bella's eyelids opened, though not without some effort, and immediately she knew that she must be dreaming.

An elderly woman wearing some sort of medieval headdress was standing over her concernedly. Bella looked down. She was lying against the wall of a cobblestone street that looked to be faintly European. She held her hand to her brow and noticed the blood on fingers.

"What happened here?" she asked the woman. The woman looked shocked. "Do you not remember, child?" She turned and muttered some more to herself. "Oh nay, the wound on her brow is greater that 'twas believed."

The woman turned back to Bella. "Come, Isabella. Your mother awaits you at the manor."

Bella was utterly lost. "Manor? My mother?" She shook her head. None of this was making sense. Clearly it must have been some sort of strange, delusional dream.

The woman now looked at Bella with matronly concern. "Yes, dear, your mother, the blessed and holy Lady Capulet."

Capulet! It appeared all of the previous day's talk with Edward about the school play had come back to Bella in a dream. _This is all wrong,_ she thought somewhat frantically. Yet something told her that she would have to play along here.

"My apologies, nurse, I come anon." Whoa. Where did that come from? _Play along,_ said the voice at the back of Bella's head. With some luck, if the story progressed the way it was supposed to, she would see Edward at the masked ball, and maybe he would have some inkling as to what was going on.

"My memory is vague," said Bella, rubbing her temple. "What happened here?"

The nurse grumbled. "Another fight upon the streets. I fear your father will not be of a good disposition toward your cousin, Jacob, at present."

Jake! _My cousin? _thought Bella. Well, his temper certainly matched Tybalt's. A sudden sadness gripped her chest as she realized that if the story played its due course, then Edward would have to kill Jake. _Not if I can help it,_ thought Bella, with determination. It was then that Bella's ears came upon the sweetest voice she had ever known.

"Ay, Jasper, love is rough. There is no escape for the sorrowful state of my piteous heart." _Edward! _thought Bella happily. Ignoring the calls of her nurse, Bella strode a few cautious steps toward Edward and Jasper.

"Nay, coz, is love is rough with you, then be rough with love." Jasper laughed.

Edward growled. "But the fair Rosalie spares me no attention! She has sworn to remain chaste of love." Rosalie? Bella shook her head. Whatever. He would be over Rosalie once he saw her tonight. It was simply how the story went.

"Isabella, child, you must talk with your mother!" Bella whipped around, and ran back to the nurse. "By and by, I come!" she said. She spared another backward glance at Edward, and then strode off to the Capulet manor.


	4. Act 1, Scene 2

Lord Charles Capulet had been having a particularly disagreeable day thus far. He only hoped that something might come along to turn the tides of his misfortune. Lord Capulet poured himself a consolatory flagon of brandy as he mulled over the day's events. Two of his servants had provoked another fight in Verona's marketplace, and now their prince had decreed that death would befall him if it ever happened again. Livid, of course, Lord Capulet had dismissed the two disobedient servants.

His blood boiled at the thought of the Montagues, the "cold ones". They were no more than woeful monsters, spoils upon the beautiful expanse that was Verona. He sighed at how much more tranquil life would be for the people of Verona, if only those horrible ivory ghosts would disappear. It was the solemn duty of all Capulets, Europe's most ancient and prestigious line of purebred werewolves, to scourge good homes of vampires. Every son of the Capulets knew it, and carried out that duty well.

A knock at the heavy door interrupted his reverie.

"Com'st hither," he called out, putting down the brandy. The door opened, and a tall blonde young man of about twenty entered the study, eyes bright. "God den, my lord," he said, bowing and removing his feathered cap with a flourish.

Lord Capulet laughed. "Ah, my good Lord Michael, thou art a welcome relief in such a weathered day. To what purpose do I entreat thee?"

Michael smiled and sat down upon the plush cushioned seat beside Lord Capulet. "Word hath reached my ears of the fray at the marketplace. 'Tis a pity you lived at odd so long with the Montague clan."

Lord Capulet nodded heavily and sighed. "'Tis but the folly of our impassioned young. 'Tis not so hard for men as old we to keep the peace." Michael nodded brightly, eager to be in Capulet's favor.

"My good lord, what say you to my suit?"

Lord Capulet groaned inwardly. This subject again. There was no doubt that Michael was a fine young lad indeed, but his daughter was hardly old enough to be married.

"Another year, good sir. Giv'st my fair daughter another golden summer to blossom into the bride for whom thou desirest. But if, come another year, she protesteth not to your suit, then I shall agree to let you have her." He poured himself another glass of brandy, and offered some to Michael. "After all, the noble line of the wolves, we the great protectors of Verona, must continue. Juliet is my only hope for that continuation." He raised his glass. "In the meantime, I am holding a ball this eve, of which I wish thee attend'st. Perhaps another young flower shall capture thine eye there."

Michael scowled slightly but raised his glass to the older man. "Indeed, it shall be as thou wishest, good lord."


	5. Author's Note

**K, so I know you're probably all thinking "WTF??!??!?!?! The Capulets are werewolves!!!!" right about now. I assure you, there was actually a method to my madness. I just thought it would make the family feud so much more interesting in this whole Twilight/Romeo and Juliet crossover more interesting if the reason for the feud was vampires vs. werewolves. So don't get all upset and leave flames because I tweaked things- I promise, they are there to make the story more dramatic and all the more enjoyable.**


	6. Act 1, Scene 3

"Isabella, my fairest daughter, come forth to thy mother."

Bella knew what this conversation was going to be about, but she sat on the heavily cushioned bed without a word.

"Isabella, the gracious Lord Michael beseeches you for your hand in marriage."

_Mike!!!_ thought Bella. _Never mind. Definitely not what I expected from this conversation._ She couldn't marry Mike, not if it were a choice between him and a spotted toad.

"I know not what to say," she said carefully.

"Oh, but he is divine!!! Verona hath never seen such a flower," gushed her nurse. "Isabella, he is like a man made of wax, that could only be dreamed of."

Lady Capulet smiled. "What say you to this suit, daughter?"

Bella bit her lip. It would enrage her "mother" now if she refused flat-out, but she could hardly say "yes" either! _Delay, _she thought. _Just delay until the ball, delay until you see Edward._

"I shall look to like, perhaps, tonight at out festivities. For I know him not well enough to accept or refute his noble offer." There. That was a neutral enough answer.

"It's settled then," cried Lady Capulet gleefully. "You two darlings can become acquainted with each other at the masquerade." She took the nurse's arm, and departed.

Bella plopped herself down on the comfortable cushions. When would this bizarre dream end? Or, what if this maybe wasn't even a dream at all? _I need to see Edward, _she thought slightly frantically. _This is all so, so _strange. _Last night I was wishing that he could play Romeo in the high school play, and this morning, I'm Juliet!!_ There had to be some explanation for all this. Indeed it seemed that there _was _an explanation, or at least phantoms of an explanation, dancing tantalizingly out of Bella's grasp.

She gazed musingly out the windows. Verona looked like everything she had imagined it to be when she was reading her script, and now she was actually in Verona. _Maybe I'm lucky in that sense, if in any at all_, she thought. _It's not everyone that gets to become a part of 14th century Italy for a while._


	7. Act 1, Scene 4

**Edward's Point of View**

"I think not of this idea," I mumbled.

Emmett laughed, and clapped me hard on the back. "Cheer up, coz! Think of all the beautiful girls that tread upon the Capulets' hall at this hour, all of them simply waiting for you to-"

Jasper's laugh cut him off. "And forget not, dear coz, that thy fair Rosalie will be here tonight."

Rosalie. She was beautiful, indeed, and how I pined to see her, though she had never spoken to me as much as once before, but there was something _else._ Something I couldn't explain, perhaps a warning in the wind that something dark would begin this night.

"Something beautiful, and yet tragic shall begin tonight," I said quietly. My cousin and friend were both looked at me with some alarm.

"Edward, are you feeling all right?" asked Jasper, his brow furrowing. "You seem tense."

Emmett roared with laughter again, and looked at me with amusement. "I told you, love is a sort of poison that eats away at manhood until we all turn soft and feminine. Be a man, Edward, and let us have fun."

I growled. Emmett didn't understand. There was no way he could, for he had never loved. It was true, though, that something dark hung upon the stars in the night, twinkling at me to turn back before a catastrophe could ensue…

**Bella's Point of View**

It was so much more than I had ever imagined. There was nothing at all that could describe the sight of a medieval hall decked with gold and ivory, where the sounds of laughter and music rang out. It was the sort of thing you saw in the movies, but never thought could actually exist.

And yet there was something missing from all this. _Edward, _I thought with a pang. He was like a star missing from a Christmas tree. I wanted to see him so badly it hurt. And then I saw him, and anything I had felt throughout this horrible dream melted away.

He was staring at me, and even through his mask, I could see his glorious topaz eyes. I smiled, and it was returned with that breathtaking crooked smile I loved so much. His lips moved with words I couldn't hear, and then Jasper pulled him away.

**Jacob's Point of View**

I snarled as the smell hit my nose with the full force of a boulder. _A vampire, _I thought. _A Montague! _My head turned in the direction of the smell. Standing there, staring out into the festivities was that wicked Edward Montague. It was as I was about to draw my sword in fury, that my uncle reached me.

"Jacob? Why draw'st thy sword while the rest of us feast?" I growled at him. "There is a Montague here, that villain Edward, come to mock at our solemnity and frighten our guests."

Lord Capulet's eyes followed mine, and he frowned. "Well, he seems not to cause much trouble. I shall not send him out now, and create a scene here during these hours of joy." _What??!?!?!??!?! _I thought angrily.

"Uncle, he is a _vampire, _and I shall not endure him!" I did my best to glare him down, but I was only returned with my uncle's fury. His face began to turn purple with rage.

"You shall endure him, as I say you shall endure him! Who is the master of this house, you or I?" Lord Capulet seemed absolutely furious. "Thou darest to be saucy with thine uncle. Go to!"

I grumbled, and sheathed my sword. My eyes held Edward's face in steely rage.

"This seeming sweet, shall turn to bitterest gall," I whispered, and stormed off on my heel.

**Bella's Point of View**

It was as I was about to go find Edward, that he grabbed my hand.

"I'm sorry, if I profane thee with my unworthy hand." I whipped about, and his eyes held mine with such force that I didn't think I could look away if I tried. His hands were cold as marble even now, in this bizarre dream. I wondered if he still had thirst in this dream…

"You do your hand too much wrong," I said, smiling.

"Alas," he said. "It appears I have sinned, with my touch against the hand of a saint as sweet as thee." I wondered if he could hear my heart hammering, now too. I knew what came next, and it could be the only goodness that came of this nightmare.

"Then purge thy sin," I said, moving closer. Edward's eyes held mine even longer, searching for something. Then, he took my face in his hands and kissed me.

_This is heaven, _I thought. _A heaven in a hell. _

"You kiss by the book," I said, still slightly dizzy.

"Isabella!" I whipped around, and wiped my lips. I groaned when I saw who it was. "Yes, nurse?" I frowned.

"Your mother wishes a word with you," she said.

I grumbled. "I come."

**Edward's Point of View**

This was something so incredible I couldn't have believed it without experiencing it. Rosalie was a memory of something that couldn't hold half the attraction as this maiden.

"Jasper," I started. "Who is she?" I motioned toward her. Jasper blanched. "She is Capulet's daughter," he said slowly. "Come, we should be gone." I stopped dead in my tracks.

_My only love from my only hate, _I thought miserably. "Isabella Capulet," I whispered raggedly.


End file.
